Nassef Sawiris has struck a deal with Tony Xia to step in and save Aston Villa from financial meltdown.

Sawiris has bought a controlling stake in the troubled Championship club from the embattled Chinese owner.

Now the ambitious member of Egypt's wealthiest family will set about trying to take the Villans back to the Premier League, reports the Birmingham Mail.

So what else do we know?

Well the family have made an incredible fortune over the years. Forbes estimated the family’s combined net worth at $36billion which highlights their financial muscle.

Tony Xia is now co-chairman (Image: Neville Williams)

It’s understood that funds have been set aside to support this investment and take Aston Villa forward. And although they have no experience of managing football clubs, the family does have a wealth of knowledge to call upon after decades of success in business.

From mobile phones in North Korea to rejuvenating a sleepy Swiss mountain village into a booming ski resort, these talented Arab’s have been busy over the years.

Onsi Sawiris, the family patriarch, got it all started in the 1950s. He started out in agriculture, before switching to construction and becoming one of the country’s largest contractors.

He’s now retired, though, and his three sons run the Orascom conglomerate which has operations in three major sectors - construction, telecommunications and tourism.

Nassef Sawiris (Image: Getty Images North America)

One of the three brothers, Nassef has a net wealth of $6.6bn and is the richest Egyptian in the world.

He has a stake in Adidas and cement giant Lafarge Holcim, but it’s his company OCI - one of the world’s largest nitrogen fertilizer producers - that brings in the real money.

Nassef is ranked at No.251 in the world’s rich list.

Brother Naguib Sawiris has a net worth of $2bn and is the more interesting of the three.

His company, Orascom Telecom has investments in media and technology enterprises in Egypt, Lebanon and Pakistan. It also owns Koryolink, North Korea’s 3G mobile telecom company.

Back in 2015 he caught the world’s attention after offering to buy a Mediterranean island from Greece or Italy to house the world’s refugees. He also has 4.7m Twitter followers and posts updates daily.

Samih Sawiris ($850m) is the tourism expert. He heads Orascom Development, which builds and operates resorts in Egypt, Montenegro, and Switzerland.

It was Samih who was instrumental in rejuvenating Andermatt, Switzerland, where he overcame local skepticism to build a new luxury resort.

The family are also members of the Coptic Christian minority.

CLUB STATEMENT

Villa Park (Image: EMPICS Sport)

Investment in Aston Villa Football Club

Dr Tony Xia and Aston Villa Football Club (“the Club”) announce that NSWE, a company that is jointly owned and controlled by businessman Nassef Sawiris’ group NNS and businessman Wes Edens, will immediately inject significant investment capital into the Club. At the same time, Dr Tony Xia will become Co-Chairman and remain on the board.

The capital injection and transaction have been approved by the EFL and the parties will work through all confirmatory approvals required by the EFL as soon as possible.

The Club’s management remain focused on strengthening the squad and are fully aligned with the new investors who are supportive of their ambitions.

Dr Tony Xia and the Club are energised and excited about their interactions with Nassef and Wes and their teams and are confident that as strategic partners they bring exceptional business, sport and leisure expertise that will enhance the Club’s future prospects. The parties look forward to working in partnership to drive Aston Villa forward to success.

Dr Tony Xia commented: “I am extremely pleased to have formed a strategic partnership with Nassef and Wes. We have a common goal of delivering future success for Aston Villa and I look forward to working together to achieve this aim.

“To have come so close to achieving promotion last season was a humbling experience. In finding such strong partners as Nassef and Wes we’re gearing up to fight again and bring back the success that this Club deserves and we all so want to provide it with.

“The future is exciting on a number of fronts and I look forward to exploring further business collaborations.”

Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens commented: “As lifelong football fans, we are excited and privileged to have become part of this great Club. We believe that together we bring business and sports experience that will help strengthen the Club to ensure Aston Villa can return to its rightful place in the upper echelons of English Football.

“Our goal is to bring sustainable success to the Club, building on its rich history while respecting its loyal fan base and unique culture. We understand that we are stewards of Aston Villa on behalf of the fans and we take that responsibility seriously.

“We look forward to working with Dr Tony to undertake a thorough assessment and evaluation of the Club in the coming weeks and our priority is to strengthen the squads and structures ahead of the upcoming season and beyond.”